in their way.”

And He says:

“We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and humankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, eyes with which they do not see, and ears with which they do not hear. They are like livestock; rather, they are even further astray. It is they who are heedless.”

And He says:

“The example of those who disbelieve is like that of someone calling to creatures that hear nothing but calls and cries. Deaf, mute and blind, they do not understand.”

And He says of the hypocrites:

“Deaf, mute and blind, they will not return.”

Some people say: “Since they did not benefit from hearing, sight and speech, they were deemed deaf, mute and blind”; or: “Since they turned away from hearing, seeing and speaking, they became like the deaf, blind and mute.” But this is not so. Rather, their very hearts have become blind, deaf and mute, as Allah, exalted is He, says:

“It is not the eyes that become blind, but the hearts within the breasts.”

The heart is the king, and the bodily members are its soldiers. When it is sound, the rest of the body is sound; when it is corrupt, the rest of the body is corrupt. A person may still hear sounds with his ears, just as animals do, yet fail to understand their meaning. Even if he understands to some extent, he does not understand fully. For full understanding necessarily produces its effect in the heart: love of what is lovable and hatred of what is hateful. Whenever this does not occur, full apprehension has not been attained. It may therefore be denied, since something incomplete may be spoken of as absent—as in the Prophet’s words to the man who prayed incorrectly:

“Pray, for you have not prayed.”

The negation of faith, wherever it occurs, is of this kind.

Allah has described them both as having hearts that tremble when He is mentioned and as increasing in faith when they hear His verses. Al-Dahhāk said: “They increased them in certainty.” Al-Rabī‘ ibn Anas said: “In reverent fear.” And it is reported from Ibn ‘Abbās: “In affirmation of the truth.”

Allah has likewise mentioned these two principles in various places. He, exalted is He, says:

“Has not